: the act of ridiculing : derision, mockery
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Examples of ridicule in a Sentence
She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule.
the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule
Recent Examples of ridicule from the Web
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These unchaperoned women, some people worried, could be pedaling away to engage in prostitution or lesbianism. Cycling trousers, along with women on bikes, were also a target of ridicule.
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That ridicule turned to anger in February, when Boko Haram abducted 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi, in the northeast.
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The ridicule and mockery were ceaseless and universal.
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The artist behind the Cristiano Ronaldo sculpture that was met with widespread ridicule when it was unveiled at the Madeira Airport is seeking redemption with a new creation.
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Furthermore, Jagdish Khubchandani, an associate professor of community health at Ball State University, says that research has shown that signs of abuse, particularly if a victim speaks up, are often met with ridicule from peers.
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The potential for judgment and ridicule from my family, community, and peers scared me into silence.
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The idea that a Franco-Dutch company would make Britain's new, blue passport for use after the U.K.'s exit from the European Union has triggered a mix of outrage, bemusement and ridicule.
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Aggressive humor is marked by sarcasm, teasing, and ridicule at the expense of others, while self-defeating humor involves putting yourself down to gain approval from others.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ridicule
French or Latin; French, from Latin ridiculum jest
ridicule Synonyms
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ridiculer
nounExamples of ridicule in a Sentence
The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed.
They ridiculed all of her suggestions.
Recent Examples of ridicule from the Web
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During Sunday night’s season finale of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver dedicated the entirety of his monologue to ridiculing Donald Trump.
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Yes, the same unit that has been mocked, ridiculed and basically plowed through on historic levels the past few years.
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Do not allow your husband to dismiss or ridicule you into getting back into the car with him.
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After years of ridiculing Sandler’s comic gifts in other movies (especially his Jack and Jill tour de force), critics now acclaim his demeaning Baumbach caricature.
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He is ridiculed abroad and disliked in the Foreign Office.
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After Barcelona's 2015/2016 La Liga title win, Pique ridiculed Real Madrid's Copa del Rey victory parage in 2011 which Arbeloa was a part of.
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In 2008, conservatives ridiculed the Left for its adulation of Barack Obama, only to succumb to their own cult of personality eight years later.
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Because of his profession, Lacy's battle with his weight became a public spectacle invested with people ridiculing him on social media.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of ridicule
1680
ridicule Synonyms
Synonyms
deride, gibe (or jibe), jeer, laugh (at), mock, scout, shoot down, skewer;
Related Words
scoff (at), scorn, sneer (at);
bad-mouth, belittle, decry, disparage, pooh-pooh (also pooh), put down;
jive, josh, kid, quiz, razz, rib, ride, tease, tweak, twit;
bait, bug, catcall, harass, harry, hassle, heckle, needle, pester, rag, target, taunt, torment;
ape, burlesque, caricature, imitate, lampoon, mimic, parody, parrot, pillory, satirize, take off (on), travesty;
Phrases
make fun of, make sport of, poke fun at, rag on;
Synonym Discussion of ridicule
ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of. ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.
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- consistently ridiculed everything she said
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- derided their efforts to start their own business
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- youngsters began to mock the helpless wino
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- hometown fans taunted the visiting team
RIDICULE Defined for English Language Learners
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: the act of making fun of someone or something in a cruel or harsh way : harsh comments made by people who are laughing at someone or something
ridicule
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: to laugh at and make jokes about (someone or something) in a cruel or harsh way : to make fun of (someone or something)
RIDICULE Defined for Kids
: the act of making fun of someone or something in a cruel or harsh way : mean or unkind comments or behavior
ridiculed;
ridiculing
: to make fun of in a cruel or harsh way
- They ridiculed the idea.
Learn More about ridicule
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See words that rhyme with ridicule Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ridicule Spanish Central: Translation of ridicule Nglish: Translation of ridicule for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ridicule for Arabic speakers
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